doki doki
by hummingyay
Summary: korra doesn't mean to number each of their meetings, it just ends up that way. - makorra, au


The first time Korra noticed him, it's on her way to United Republic History. He was studying in the courtyard underneath one of the many Cherry Blossoms on campus (Korra scoffed because _Cherry Blossoms, really? Like, could you be any less original?_)

It was kind of hard to not see him; he was so _tall_.

And kind of cute.

Something in the second year urged her to go and say hello, but she was already late enough as it was and Tenzin was waiting.

Korra passed the stranger without so much as a second glance.

—

The second time Korra noticed him, he was not alone.

It's lunch time and Korra's outside taking advantage of the empty basketball court and spring air.

The boy was (yet again) underneath those _stupid _Cherry Blossoms.

A very pretty girl sat on his left, a textbook cracked open in her lap. They're both laughing together, and Korra could feel herself pouting, a habit that had never left her growing up.

She could feel something akin to utter disappointment nestled deep within her, but tries her damnedest to ignore because _what was she doing?_

She didn't know the boy.

He was a stranger.

"So, Korra, are you gonna shoot the ball or something?" the captain of the other team, Tahno, Korra thought his name was, asked in an irritated drawl.

"Gettin' to it, pretty boy."

Korra expertly pivoted around her opposing defender and flung the ball into the basket. Three points added to the whopping 30-2 victory.

Upon exiting the court, Korra rushes past the Cherry Blossom tree, forgetting about the boy and his pretty friend in her haste to get to class.

Molten gold peered at her retreating back in curiosity.

—

The third time Korra saw the boy, she got his name.

_Mako_.

School for the 19-year-old had long since ended for the day, and with her educational duties concluded until Monday, Korra decided to take her polar bear dog, Naga, out for a walk.

The furry beast attracted more attention than Korra would've hoped for, but it was the city, and polar bear dogs didn't belong in the city much less someone's family as a _pet_.

"Woah, is that a _polar bear dog_?"

Korra looked over at the newcomer, blue eyes meeting a pair of very green, very childlike ones.

She knew this boy. In fact, she had played basketball with him two weeks ago; he was on Tahno's team.

"Hey, Bolin," Korra greeted, "This is my polar bear dog, Naga."

"Hey there, Naga," Bolin leaned over to the resting dog, his arm outstretched to stroke her white fur. She seemed to take to Bolin very easily, which came as no surprise to Korra.

"She's such a sweetheart," Bolin cooed, scratching the dog behind her ears, "Mako would_love_ this, _hey Mako_!"

"Mako?"

"My brother," Bolin replied, "you've probably seen him under the same Cherry Blossom tree looking cool on campus."

"Oh."

_Mako_.

'So tall, dark, and handsome has a name after all…' Korra's lips quirked in somewhat of a smirk, _too_ giddy at this new piece of information. Looking not too far behind Bolin, Korra saw Mako, staring at her somewhat curiously.

It was a little too hot outside for her liking.

Mako was maybe a head and a half taller than Korra herself, with dark hair that oddly stuck up in the back like a turtleduck's tail feathers and amber colored eyes that seemed to reel the young girl in, _demanding_ her attention.

She gulped, feeling like a hot, awkward _mess_ in front of this boy.

"Mako, look at Korra's polar bear dog!" Bolin's rather adorable nativity seemed to temporarily cure Korra of her racing heart and clammy palms, "her name's Naga."

Mako seemed to be interested enough in the polar bear dog. He pet her fur with careful tenderness, his lips curving into a small smile by the end of his chat with Korra's dog.

Stepping over to Naga's unsuspecting owner, he held out his hand; Korra gently took it into her own without a second thought.

"Name's Mako."

"Korra."

His touch was pure electricity, stunning Korra into silence; Korra _never_ not had anything to say. Ever.

But this boy, this _Mako_.

"It's nice to meet you, Korra."

"Y…Yeah, you too."

He could take all her words away and she'd be perfectly fine with that.

—

By their twelfth meeting, Korra was comfortable enough to plop down next to Mako under that _dumbass, cliched as a motherfucker_ tree and talk.

He was older than Bolin by two years, which made him older than Korra by one year.

He was majoring in criminal justice and the textbook he was always studying from was for his capstone forensic science lecture.

Cooking was one of Mako's favorite hobbies; kickboxing was his favorite sport to watch.

When Mako was a boy, his parents had signed both him and Bolin up for martial arts; Mako in the style of Northern Shaolin and Bolin in the style of Hung Gar. (This particular fact tickled Korra pink, as she was well-trained in the arts of Tai Chi and Bagua Zhang herself.)

The red scarf he seemed to wear every day was a momento of his father, who had passed away 12 years before with his mother, leaving Mako to care for himself and Bolin at the age of eight.

Korra learned anything and everything about Mako, always wanting to know more.

Because he wasn't a stranger anymore, she was more than comfortable admitting that she_liked_ him.

—

Turns out, the pretty girl Korra saw sitting with Mako's name is Asami Sato.

They dated when they were 18 for half a year.

Korra isn't sure if she wanted to know this because she's very easily jealous. This feeling quickly diminishes when Asami reaches over to _dap_ (of all things _dap_) Korra.

Korra decides Asami isn't bad at all and is kind of rad.

—

"I think Mako likes you," Asami mused one day, prompting Korra to spit out her water.

"_What_."

"Mako likes you," Asami repeated again, her jade-colored eyes twinkling mischievously, "And don't act like you don't like him back, Korra!"

When Korra opened her mouth to deny her friend's accusations, Mako arrived, taking his spot next to Korra.

The flush on her face is humiliating, but at least Asami's nice enough to not say anything about it.

Raava bless that girl's soul.

—

On exactly their 75th meeting, Mako reaffirms Asami's suspicions.

Or rather, Korra fucks it up first.

She's helping Mako with _his_ United Republic exam since she herself is double majoring in history.

"Who was the first head chairman of the United Republic Council?"

"…Aang?"

"No, no," Korra corrects gently, "Sokka. He was Avatar Aang's brother in law."

"Oh, right."

Mako's disappointed in himself.

"Don't worry, Mako," Korra comforts, unconsciously resting her palm over his, "It's just one question, you've gotten everything else right so far."

"How are you so good at this?" Mako inquires, "You even know who married who. That's amazing, Korra."

"It's just memorizing," Korra dismisses, "Besides, you're the amazing one. You're graduating from the hardest college program a year early. An entire _year_! Mako, that's, like, 2 semesters."

Her serious expression brings a smile to Mako's face; Korra's heart thuds loudly when she feels the warmth of Mako's hand placed on top of hers. She gulps.

"Korra…"

Korra nearly dies when she spots a small blush on Mako's cheeks. Him. _Mako_! Mr. Serious, blushing. Korra chokes on her jubilation and without any regard to what Mako's planning on telling her, she interrupts him by kissing him soundly on the mouth.

Korra breaks away before Mako can even think to return the gesture, blurting out after "—look, I really like you and I think we were meant for each other!"

A beat passes and Mako laughs; he leans over to Korra and kisses her, slowly this time, his hand tightly wrapped around hers the entire time.

When they separate for the second time, Korra can see it: molten gold shining brighter than the sun. Mako and Korra smile at each other.

"I…I think so too."


End file.
